The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

Loading ...

Loading ...

This story appears in the {{article.article.magazine.pretty_date}} issue of {{article.article.magazine.pubName}}. Subscribe

Image credit: i.r.w.i.n. on flickr Creative Commons

Anyone with a dying cellphone has wondered in frustration when our so-called "wireless" phones will cut that umbilical cord of modern life -- the power cable. After years of speculation, the solution may finally be at hand: Samsung is expected to release a wireless charging kit for its Galaxy S3 phone this fall.

The novelty may mask how profoundly disruptive the technology is. Developers envision new products like cordless televisions, waterproof cellphones, durable and powerful medical implants, soldiers unburdened by batteries, and more efficient factory equipment. But one of the most far-reaching implications is that managing devices may become both easier and less wasteful.

Wireless power could reduce demand for power cables while making gadgets more durable, eliminate the need for throwaway batteries, and perhaps even accelerate the adoption of electric cars. Watchers of this embryonic market think it's going to be huge.

IMS Research estimated last year that it will be a $4.5 billion market by 2016. Pike Research projected a few weeks ago that wireless power products will triple in the next eight years to a $15 billion market.

"This is one of the technologies that has a lot of prospects in various markets," said Farouk Balouchi, an analyst for Pike, in an interview. "It's not exactly a green technology, but it's something that can help mobile devices become more energy efficient and more green and sustainable."

In fact wireless charging, also known as inductive charging, has existed for years in devices like electric toothbrushes. But actual contact between charger and device was required until 2006, when Marin Soljačić, a professor at MIT, demonstrated that he could light a lamp from a distance of six feet without a power cord. The centerpiece of this "resonant magnetic coupling" is a conductive coil that is fed a current of electricity. That coil creates a magnetic field, and if placed in proximity to a coil of similar size, the two resonate, creating an electrical current with no wires.

"Our competitors are a disposable battery and a wire," said Eric Giler, the CEO of Witricity, a Boston-area startup founded by Soljačić that is licensing the technology in many industries.

Here are some of the ways that wireless power transmission could change the world.

1) Kill the Power Cord. One of the obvious, and obviously awesome, benefits of wireless charging would be to ditch the power cord while on the move or to not have to plug in when at home. Just don't expect to wander very far from a power source.

The model that's shaping up is one of wireless hubs that are extremely local. A power transmitter would be installed underneath a surface at which people spend long stretches of time, such as a coffee table, conference table, nightstand, or a car's trinket tray. "You just come in an drop the device on the table and it will begin to charge," said Mark Hunsicker, who the senior director of wireless power at Qualcomm and spokesman for the Alliance for Wireless Power, an industry consortium that is developing standards.

At first, the range will be just a couple of inches and will work only with devices that work on five watts of power or less, like cellphones and bluetooth headsets, Hunsicker said. The hub will be able to charge multiple devices simultaneously. Over time, as the technology improves, so may range and power.

The roster of the Alliance for Wireless Power offers some insight into how wide the interest is and how deep in the supply chain it lies. It includes telecommunications manufacturer Qualcomm and industrial heavyweight Samsung, as well as Gil Industries, a maker of auto assemblies and office furniture; Peiker Acustic, a sound equipment supplier in autos and mobile devices; Ever Win International, a maker of power adapters and chargers; semiconductor company NXP; and SK Telecom, the Korean mobile carrier.